Former FIFA referee Myroslav Stupar shared his impressions on how the referee teams handled their duties in the first matches of the 9th round of the Ukrainian championship.
«Moment of Conversation» between Karlo Nicolini and Ruslan Rotan (frame from the broadcast)«So far, there have been no referee errors that affected match results. Two penalties were awarded in the „Poltava“ vs. „Obolon“ clash, but players forgot that soccer is not volleyball.
The round’s central match took place in Zhytomyr, where „Polissya“ hosted „Shakhtar“. Tensions ran high on the field, and no one wanted to give in, so players did not spare themselves in the duels. Credit goes to referee Oleksandr Afanasiev, who allowed the players to showcase their skills.
Unfortunately, the benches were not peaceful on both sides. Coaches often did not hide their dissatisfaction with the referee’s decisions. However, arrogance does not flatter the coaches; such unbecoming behavior only demeans them and certainly does not contribute to the popularity of the „king“ of sports.
I believe Afanasiev was right when he showed Ruslan Rotan a yellow card. One of Arda Turan’s assistants from „Shakhtar“ was sent off from the technical area and will not avoid a long disqualification, while another was warned. It’s all fair. No one has the right to interfere with players showcasing their skills, and fans enjoying the game,» Stupar noted.
